LEGO Creations for All Ages

LEGO Creations for All Ages Paul M.L. Janssen Lakeside Association, July 22 2011 Overview Part 1: History of the LEGO company Part 2: The adult ...
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LEGO Creations for All Ages

Paul M.L. Janssen

Lakeside Association, July 22 2011

Overview

Part 1: History of the LEGO company

Part 2: The adult LEGO fan Part 3: Art and Science of LEGO Part 4: Creations by and for all ages Part 5: LEGO Ohio Stadium

Part 1: History of the Founded in Billund, 1916 (not named Lego till 1934)

by Ole Kirk Christiansen

Main Product Line: 1916-1932: Furniture 1932-1960: Wooden Toys 1949-1958: Plastic Pre-bricks 1958-current: System Bricks

Denmark

Company

Part 1: History 1916 Ole Kirk Christiansen purchased an existing woodworking shop that had been in business since 1895. He primarily focused on houses and furniture. In order to aid in designing full-sized product, he constructed miniature sized items such as step-ladders and ironing boards. These miniature creations prompted him to start manufacturing wooden toys.

Pull-along LEGO train, 1935 Pull-along LEGO duck, 1935

Part 1: History 1924 His young sons burned down his shop. He rebuilt his shop, now larger, and expanded his business. The great depression hit, and it is said government persuasion made him move primarily into toy production as a full-time focus.

1932 Ole Kirk Christiansen, master carpenter and joiner, establishes his business in the village of Billund, Denmark. His firm manufactures stepladders, ironing boards, stools and wooden toys. His son, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, starts working in the business at the age of 12.

Part 1: History 1934 The company and its products now adopt the name LEGO, formed from the Danish words "LEg GOdt" ("play well"). Later, it is realized that in Latin the word means "I put together”. The firm has 6-7 employees. Ole Kirk places the following motto on the workshop wall: "Only the best is good enough".

Early versions of the LEGO logo

Part 1: History 1942 The LEGO factory burns to the ground (again), however, the production of wooden toys is quickly resumed.

1947 The LEGO Group is the first in Denmark to buy a plastic injection-moulding machine for toy production. The machine costs 30,000 Danish Crowns. By comparison, the revenue of the firm this year is 450,000 Danish Crowns.

1949 The LEGO Automatic Binding Brick with four and eight studs.

Part 1: History 1955 After further developing the LEGO Bricks, the company launches the revolutionary "LEGO System of Play". The first real export of LEGO begins. First country is Sweden. Godfred Kirk Christiansen demonstrates the new product at a toy fair in Nuremberg, Germany. Reactions are not positive…... 1958 The current “system” brick is finalized, and is virtually the same as we have today.

1960 The wooden toy warehouse is destroyed by fire. Production of wooden toys is discontinued entirely. App. 450 employees in Billund. LEGO Finland and LEGO Nederland established.

Part 1: History 1961 The LEGO Group invents the wheel! It is marketed in the following year. The range comprises 50 sets, 15 vehicles and various loose elements. Sales start in the US and Canada via a license agreement with Samsonite Corp. LEGO Italy established. 1965 LEGO produces its first train set.

1968 LEGOLAND® Billund opens its gates on 7th June and attracts 625,000 visitors in its first season, 3000 on the opening day. The first computer in LEGO Group - an NCR 390 for pay administration. The machine cost 85,000 Danish Crowns.

Part 1: History

Part 1: History

Part 1: History 1978 LEGOLAND mini figures with movable arms and legs.

Pre1978

1979 The founder’s Grandson, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen takes over as CEO 1984 The first LEGO Technic Computer controlled products are released

1990 The LEGO Group is now one of the world's 10 largest toy manufacturers - the only one in Europe (the others are American and Japanese). The magic barrier - one million visitors in a single year - is broken for the first time at LEGOLAND Billund on 4th September.

Part 2: The Adult LEGO Fan Although the LEGO group heavily markets their product as a kids toy, they increasingly recognize that there is a rapidly growing market to sell to adults, both as collectors and users of their products. Since the mid 1990’s, an explosion of Adult activity can be Found regarding LEGO.

Part 2: The Adult LEGO Fan Adults have been playing with LEGO bricks since they were invented. LEGO employees have build large creations for the company For several decades. Adult creations were mainly build for the parks and stores, and occasionally for paying clients

Part 2: The Adult LEGO Fan

Legoland Billund, Mount Rushmore

Part 2: The Adult LEGO Fan

Legoland Billund, Kennedy Space Center

Part 2: The Adult LEGO Fan

Legoland Billund, various park creations

Part 2: The Adult LEGO Fan AFOL (Adult Fan Of Lego) There are many types of involvement with Lego by adults: •Bonding/playing with (own) kids •Collectors •Builders •Social Involvement •Teaching •Lego Robotics •Artists Wide-spread use and speed of the internet played a major role in the evolvement of the AFOL community

Part 2: The Adult LEGO Fan 1992: First “major” grouping RTL (rec.toys.lego) 1998: LUGNET (www.lugnet.com)

Major Community hub, discussion posts, set-database, group-boards

Part 2: The Adult LEGO Fan 1998: BrickShelf (www.brickshelf.com)

Online Posting of Pictures of MOC’s (My Own Creation)

Part 2: The Adult LEGO Fan

2000: BrickLink (www.bricklink.com) Online selling of individual bricks and sets

Part 2: The Adult LEGO Fan 1998: Peeron (www.peeron.com)

Online database of individual bricks and sets

Part 2: The Adult LEGO Fan

Initially 15 adult fans acting as Ambassador: * Promote LEGO within the community * Promote the AFOLs inside the LEGO company Providing feedback, suggestions for sets, help in designing, attending meetings

Part 2: The Adult LEGO Fan

In collaborations with the LEGO Group, several FANs have turned the hobby into an actual job, making various creations for paying clients.

Heartfelt, by Nathan Sawaya, Feb 2009

Part 2: The Adult LEGO Fan

1995: 2000: 2005: 2011:

Adult Lego User Clubs LUG: Lego Users Group LTC: Lego Train Club 2 clubs in the USA 7 clubs in the USA 38 clubs in the USA 60+ clubs in the USA

Local:

www.coltc.org

Founded in 2003: Central Ohio Lego Train Club Members: 2003: 7 2004: 12 2005: 15 2008: 22 2011: 36

Part 2: The Adult LEGO Fan Annual AFOL conventions BrickFest, BrickWorld

Initially ~30 participants, Now over 500 attendees, and 10K+ public visitors

Part 3: The Art and Science of LEGO Many ways to approach a building project, three main aspects are important, often not compatible:

Artistic

Scientific

Economic

•Shape •Color •Emotion •Interpretation

•Scale •Size •Construction •Function

•Cost •Space •Storage •Availability

Part 3: The Art and Science of LEGO

Single Element Slopes/Bricks

Bricks

Part 3: The Art and Science of LEGO

Plates

Building techniques

Plates 3D

Part 3: The Art and Science of LEGO

Bricks

Plates

Applications

Part 3: The Art and Science of LEGO Characteristics If you “nail” the critical element, the rest is much less important Examples: Elephant Cow Statue of Liberty People

Part 3: The Art and Science of LEGO

Scale, Size, Emotion, Interpretation, Cost, Construction

Part 3: The Art and Science of LEGO

Scale, Cost

Part 3: The Art and Science of LEGO

Exact Scaling Requires research, math, and measuring Requires finding the hardest-to-do part first Examples: Skyscraper House Car Person

Part 3: The Art and Science of LEGO

Huntington Bank Building, Columbus, OH

Part 3: The Art and Science of LEGO Borden, LeVeque, Huntington, Verne-Riffe

Surroundings to scale

Part 3: The Art and Science of LEGO Scaling Requires environment and surroundings Purpose Economical factors

Same Examples: Skyscraper House Car Person

Part 3: The Art and Science of LEGO

6-wide

2-wide

Train a Grande Vitesse (TGV)

Part 3: The Art and Science of LEGO

Part 3: The Art and Science of LEGO

Emotion

Nathan Sawaya, “Yellow”

Part 3: The Art and Science of LEGO

Interpretation (construction or destruction?)

Nathan Sawaya, “Blue”

Part 3: The Art and Science of LEGO

Stephen Colbert, by Nathan Sawaya

Part 3: The Art and Science of LEGO

Scaling: Microscale

Part 4: Creations by and for all ages

Creations by LEGO fans, young and old

•Computer or Bricks •Built by 1 person or by a group •Artistic or Functional •Small or Big

Part 4: Creations by and for all ages

Hiawatha Steam Engine, Benn Coifman

Part 4: Creations by and for all ages

Hiawatha Steam Engine, Benn Coifman

Part 4: Creations by and for all ages

Hiawatha Steam Engine, Benn Coifman

Part 4: Creations by and for all ages

Statehouse, Columbus Ohio, Paul Janssen

Part 4: Creations by and for all ages

“Miracle on the Hudson”, Ken Osbon

Part 4: Creations by and for all ages

Millyard Project, NELUG

Part 4: Creations by and for all ages

USS Harry Truman, Malle Hawking

Part 4: Creations by and for all ages

Working Pinball Machine, Gerrit Bronsveld & Martijn Boogaarts

Part 4: Creations by and for all ages

Tressel Bridge, Jeramy Spurgeon

Part 4: Creations by and for all ages

Angel Sculpture (replica), David Winkler

Part 4: Creations by and for all ages

Steam Locomotive, Cale Leiphart

Part 4: Creations by and for all ages

Yankee Stadium, Sean Kenney

Part 4: Creations by and for all ages

Abston Church, Amy Hughes

Part 4: Creations by and for all ages

Medieval Townhall, Paul Janssen

Part 4: Creations by and for all ages

Castle, Steve DeCreamer

Part 4: Creations by and for all ages

Mona Lisa

Song of the Angels

Mosaics, Eric Harshbarger

Part 4: Creations by and for all ages

Victorian Mansion, Mike Doyle

Part 4: Creations by and for all ages

“Jamocklaquat”, Eric Sophie

Part 4: Creations by and for all ages

Beauty and the Beast, Vincent Cheung

Part 4: Creations by and for all ages

Han Solo “Carbonite”, Nathan Sawaya

Part 4: Creations by and for all ages

Church, Paul Janssen

Part 4: Creations by and for all ages

Swans, Billy Lynch

Part 4: Creations by and for all ages

St. Louis Gateway Arch, Paul Janssen

Part 4: Creations by and for all ages

Happy Meal, Janey Gunning

Part 5: Ohio Stadium

Initial plans developed in 2004 Collecting and saving bricks since 2004 Base built first, 2007-2009 Prototype of fielt build in 2008 First stadium brick in place, May 2009 Last stadium brick in place, Jan 2010 Total elements, when filled just over 1 million Seating capacity of nearly 6,000 minifigs Build in 10 sections, each up to 50 lbs.

Part 5: Ohio Stadium July 2009

August 2009

Part 5: Ohio Stadium

July 2010

November 2009

Part 5: Ohio Stadium August 2010

September 2010

Part 5: Ohio Stadium

January 8, 2010

Part 5: Ohio Stadium Press-box

South Stands and Scoreboard

Part 5: Ohio Stadium West Side

SpeakerCluster

Rotunda North Flag

Scoreboard showing “Script Ohio”

East Side curvature

Part 5: Ohio Stadium

January 15, Columbus Dispatch Article